This invention relates to a vehicle seat for a motor vehicle.
Passenger vans are multi-purpose vehicles. While usually used for carrying multiple passengers, owners also may use vans to carry cargo, so that it is desirable that at least some of the rear seats of the van be able to be folded and/or removed to permit the rear portion of the van to handle objects that would normally be too large to fit into the van with all of the seats in the normal riding position. Van owners sometimes use vans for camping, and it is accordingly desirable to provide seating which may be folded flat into a bed.
The present invention provides a bench type seat for installation in a passenger van in which the seat back can be folded from its normal upright position to a horizontal position. The entire seat assembly can then be folded forward upon release of rear retaining latches. Accordingly, the volume of the van available for cargo is substantially increased. However, if a even greater volume of cargo must be hauled, the seat can be entirely removed from the van. The seat assembly may be converted into a bed by folding the seat backwards as the seat is shifted forward such that the seat back and seat are substantially flush with one another.